1. Field
Example embodiments relate to a method of forming a semiconductor cell structure, a method of forming a semiconductor device including the semiconductor cell structure, and a method of forming a semiconductor module including the semiconductor device.
2. Description of Related Art
A method of fabricating a semiconductor cell structure on a semiconductor substrate includes reducing a thickness of a stacked layer and a distance between conductive patterns based on shrinkage of a design rule of a semiconductor device. The stacked layer may insulate the conductive layers from each other or support the conductive layers. The conductive patterns may be disposed in the stacked layer to provide a transmission path of an internal or external electrical signal of the semiconductor device. In such a case, the stacked layer may have a lower insulating layer and an upper insulating layer. The lower insulating layer may expose a portion of the conductive patterns and cover the remainder thereof.
The upper insulating layer may be formed on the lower insulating layer and the conductive patterns. The upper insulating layer may have through holes exposing the portion of the conductive patterns. The through holes may be filled with electric nodes. However, diameters of the through holes may shrink according to continuous reduction in the distance between the conductive patterns. The electric nodes may have greater contact resistance with respect to the portion of the conductive patterns through the through holes compared with before the shrink design rule of the semiconductor device. The electric nodes may have a greater internal resistance compared with before the shrink design rule of the semiconductor device.
Furthermore, the through holes may pass the upper insulating layer to extend towards the lower insulating layer. The electric node may be electrically short-circuited with the remainder of the conductive patterns through the through holes. As a result, the semiconductor cell structure may deteriorate electrical characteristics of the semiconductor device compared with before the shrink design rule of the semiconductor device. The semiconductor device may be disposed in a semiconductor module and a processor-based system. The semiconductor module and the processor-based system may have degraded electrical characteristics due to the semiconductor device.